Folding top structure



DC 25, 1951 J. w. voTYPKA FOLDING TOP STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 10, 1949 INVEN TOR.

JOHN W. VOTYPKA ATTORNEYS atenteci Dec. 25, 1951 UNITED STATES FFCE.2,580,337 l v FoLDING Tor STRUCTURE John Wilfred Votypka, Detroit,Mich., assigner to Detroit Harvester Company, Detroit, Mich.,

a corporation/of lMichigan Application January 10, 1949, Serial-No.705108 z'claims. (c1. 29e-#107?) The present rinvention relates tovfolding top structure and more particularly to a folding top structurefor motor vehicles characterized by the use of relatively smallersections of cover fabric or material than has heretofore been employed.

It is the object of the present invention to provide Va folding topstructure for motor vehicles characterized by its attractive appearance,the economy with which it may be constructed ini tially, the economywith which damaged 'sections of the cover material may be replaced, andthe ability yof the top material to resist both vertical and lateralballooning.

It is a feature of the present invention to provide a folding topvstructure for motor vehicles comprising a longitudinal -foldable frameprovided with a frontrheader bar for attachment to a windshield headerbar, a rear cross-bow, one or more auxiliary cross-bows intermediate therear cross-bowand the front header bar, foldable linkageinter-connecting said front header bars and said cross-bows, and aflexible cover composed of a plurality of 4separate cover sections, theintermediate adjacent edges of which are sewed together and tacked totacking material provided along the upper` surface of the cross-bows,the cover sections being reversely folded at the cross-bows so as tocause one rof the edges of the cover sections thereat to overlie andconceal the tacks. A

VQt'her objects Vand features of the invention willbecome apparent asthe description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawingsin which: H A

Affigure l is a fragmentary side elevation of a folding top structureshown in extended position.

Figure 2 is a planned view of the folding top construction. y A

Figure "3 is a fragmentary enlarged section of the line 3--3, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is al fragmentary enlarged 'section onv the line 4 4, Figure 2.l In the past it has been the practice in providing exible covermaterial for foldable vehicle 2 construction, it was necessary toreplace the entire top 'which involved 'a very considerable expense.Moreover, tops of this construction resulted in fabric edges at `they,side of the top which were unsupported `and tended to balloonlaterally. In 4some cases, this tendency was so great that it wasnecessary Ato provide snap fasteners to retain the edges fof the-top indesired position. Moreover, l-jaccording' tov this Vprior practice, thetopinateria-l 'wassecured to the foldable frame construction onlyat itsfront edge, Where it wasfseciired to the front header bar, at its rearedge whereit was secured to the body of the vehicle, and 'a't 'oneintermediate point where itwas secure'dt'o the rear cross-bow structure.It has bejeftheS-:practice to provide the folding top with yonezo'rmore, -and usually two, auxiliary Vcross-bows intermediate the frontheader bar Aand the 'rear cross-bow; However, the flexible covermaterial was not secured directly to the auxiliary cross-bows. Thisproduced `an additional tendency for the top construction to balloonupwardly when air was forced ii'to the vehiclerby motion thereof.

Referring now to the "figures there is illustrated a 'foldingtopvstructure for a motor vehicle indie cated generally at I0, thevehicle being vprovided The folding top structur ,ciripiisiesa fromheader barff, 'a rear' cross-bow. structure 11, and intermediate ers'sLbows f lfa'nd 20. The

cross-bows and the fronti header bars are inter' connected by' foldinglinkage indicated vgenerally at 22. The `link'age as a- 'wh'ole includeselements which are lpiv'otfed to 'the body or the vehicle ias indicatedgenerally at 24.

The folding frame structure is provided with a flexible cover 2'5 whichis composed ofa plurainy er @over sections 2e, 2t, 28, and 29. The coversections 2 6, 21, 28, and 29 may be Vfor-med of any suitable flexiblematerial such `for example as a water-proof'i'zvoven fabric. e

The front vcover section 26 yifsv secured at its forward transverse edgeto the frontheader barA The rear cover section 29 is connected 'at d itsiear transverse `edge to the body 'of the vehitions also extending forthe complete lengtl'ifofI the top from front to rear and resulting inthe use of longitudinal extending seams between the main top portionandthe side portions. Whenk .damagev occurred to the vtop vmaterial ofthepriorcle l0, as indicated at 30. .The adjacent edgesv thevcross-bows. 1

The manner in which .the adjacent edges foldable frame, the adjacentedges of the sev- 1 eral cover sections are sewed together along twoparallel lines of sewing on seams indicated at 46 and 4I. This providesa double thickness of material through which the tacks 38 are driven tosecure the cover material to the folding frame in the mannerillustrated. After the tacks 38 have been driven the appropriate one ofthe cover sections is reversely folded forwardly of the vehicle so as tooverlie the heads of the tacks, thus concealing the tacks or otherfastening elements and also providing an attractive appearing fold ofmaterial which extends generally transversely of' the vehicle body.

Cover sections 28 and 29 are sewed together in a similar manner and theseam is secured to the rear cross-bow Il in a manner equivalent to thatillustrated in Figure 3. The detailed construction of the rear cross-bowIl forms no part of the present invention, but it is provided with atacking strip whose function is identical to tacking strips 36 providedin the cross-bows i9 and 20.

From an inspection of Figure 3 it will be observed that the coversections are folded reversely and forwardly from each of the cross-bowsso as to provide a construction best adapted to prevent the entry ofwater into the interior of the vehicle. Thus the overlap of the covermaterial at the cross-bows faces rearwardly of the vehicle so that winddue to motion of the vehicle does not tend to force rain into the spacebetween adjacent sections of cover material.

From an inspection of Figure 2 it will be observed that the .sections26, 21, 28, and 29 have curved transverse edges to conform to the shapeof the cross-bows. Inasmuch as the adjoining edges of these coversections are sewed together to provide multiple thickness overlappingjoints, these joints provide stiffening ribs which are effective toprevent lateral ballooning of the side edges of the cover, even thoughthe tacking of the cover to the cross bows is discontinued at a pointspaced somewhat above the longitudinal edges of the cover material.Moreover, the longitudinal edges of the cover material are folded overand sewed together to provide a multiple thickness stiffening ribindicated at 45 in Figure 1.

The present construction is more economical to produce than the priorknown construction, is more eiiicient in operation since it effectivelyprevents both vertical and lateral ballooning, and aiords importanteconomies in the event that local injury is suffered by the cover, inwhich case only a single section of the cover has to be replaced.

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description ofthe improved folding top structure-in such full, clear, concise andexact terms as to enable any person skilled inl the art to practice theinvention, the scope of which lis indicated by the appendedclaims.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A folding top for convertible motor vehicles, comprising alongitudinally foldable frame having a series of longitudinally spacedtransversely extending members, one of said members being a front headerbar and the other of said members being cross-bows, each of saidcross-bows having a central generally horizontal portion and downwardlyextending end portions, said central portions having tacking materialcarried thereby, a flexible cover for said frame extending from one endthereof to the other and comprising separate cover sections extendingtransversely of the frame, each of said cover sections being of a widthto span the space between a pair of transversely extending members whenthe frame is extended, the end portions of adjacent cover sections beingdisposed in overlapping relation, said end portions being sewed togetherin surface to surface relation along two spaced transversely extendingsubstantially parallel lines, and fastenlng elements located betweensaid parallel lines, and extending through said overlapping end portionsinto said tacking material, the uppermost of said cover sections beingreturn bent along a transversely extending line in rear of the rearmostof said parallel lines and extending forwardly of the vehicle to overlieand conceal the fastening elements for said end portions so that thejoint between the return bend of the uppermost section and the uppersurface of the adjacent section will face rearwardly of the vehicle, thelongitudinal edge portions of said sections being free of the downwardlyextending end portions of said bows for movement relative thereto duringfolding movement of said top.

2. A folding top for convertible motor vehicles, comprising alongiutdinally foldable frame having a series of longitudinally spacedtransversely extending members, one of said members being a front headerbar and the other of said members being cross-bows, each of saidcross-bows having a central generally horizontal portion and downwardlyextending end portions, said central portions having tacking materialcarried thereby, a flexible cover for said frame extending from one endthereof to the other and comprising separate cover sections extendingtransversely of the frame, each of said cover sections Abeing of a widthto span the space between a pair of transversely extending members whenthe frame is extended, the end portions of adjacent cover sections beingdisposed in overlapping relation, said end portions being sewed togetherin surface to surface relation along two spaced transversely extendingsubstantially parallel lines, and fastening elements located betweensaid parallel lines and extending through said overlapping end portionsinto said tacking material, the uppermost of said cover sections beingreturn bent along a transversely extending line in rear of the rearmostof said parallel lines and extending forwardly of the vehicle to overlieand conceal the fastening elements for said end portions so that thejoint between the return bend of the uppermost section and the uppersurface of the adjacent section will face rearwardly of the vehicle, thelongitudinal edge portions of said sections being free of the downwardlyextending end portions of said bows for movement relative thereto duringfolding movement of said top, the material of said longitudinal edgeportionsof said sections jbeingfoldable and sewed 'together to providemultiple thickness-longitudinally extend 5 l ing stitening ribs for saidtop, the portions of UNITED STATES PATENTS said end portions between theparallel lines afore- Number Name Date said providing transverselyextending stiienng 9,18 116 Pendery Feb 1 1910 ribs operable to preventballooning of the long- 988204 Mitcham "Marfzs 1911 tudinal side edgeso1 said cover sections when said 5 1 2102139 Edwards Jan 2 1917 frameis. extended.

- 1,291,100 Overmyer Jan. 14, 1919 JOHN WILFRED VOTYPKA- 1,311,717schwer July 29, 1919 REFERENCES ITED 1,952,252 Heuser M911'. 27, 1934 C2,308,766 Martinus Jan. 19, 1943 The following references are of recordin the 10 2,418,918 Yankus Arm 15l 1947 me 0f this Patent? 2,479,280Tum; Aug. 16,1949

